Game Notes: Clemson vs Maryland

Clemson finished the month of
September with a 3-0 record, continuing a
recent trend under head coach Tommy Bowden.
It was the third time in the last four years that
Clemson has been undefeated in September.
All three of the victories were by at least double
digits. The Tigers are 15-3 under Bowden in
the month of September, including a 14-1
record in the month in the decade of the 2000s.
Clemson’s only loss in September since the
turn of this century was a 26-24 loss to Virginia
on the last play of the game in 2001. The only
other September losses under Bowden were to
Marshall and Virginia Tech in 1999.

Clemson vs. Maryland Series

Clemson holds a 27-22-2 advantage
in the series with Maryland. The first game of
the series was played in 1952, one year before
both teams became charter members of the
ACC. Maryland won each of the first four
games in the series.

Maryland has won each of the last
two games, one in College Park and one at
Clemson, but the Tigers have won eight of the
last 10 games against the Terrapins. Clemson
had won eight in a row and 13 of 14 prior to
Ralph Friedgen’s return to his alma mater.
Clemson held Maryland to just 12 total points in
winning every game between 1993-98.

Clemson recorded four shutouts, including three
in a row during that time period. During
Clemson’s eight-game winning streak from
1993-2000, Clemson held Maryland to an
average of 7.0 points per game, while scoring
26.8 points per game themselves.

Last year when Maryland defeated
Clemson in Death Valley it was the first win for
the Terps at Clemson since 1985. Clemson
has a 15-11 lead in the series in games played
at Clemson and 11-10-1 in games played in
College Park.

Perhaps the most significant win in
the series for Clemson was in 1978 when
Charley Pell led the Tigers to a 28-24 victory at
Maryland, who was 9-1 at the time. Steve
Fuller completed an 87-yard scoring pass to
Jerry Butler in that game, still the second
longest in Clemson history.

Tommy Bowden has a 2-2 record

against Maryland during his tenure at Clemson.
He led Clemson to a 42-30 victory at College
Park in his first year thanks to 435 yards of total
offense by Woody Dantzler. In 2000 Clemson
came away with a 35-14 victory at Homecoming
thanks to 231 all-purpose running yards by Rod
Gardner and three interceptions by Alex Ardley.

Bowden Won 50th Game at Georgia Tech

Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden
won his 50th career game when the Tigers
defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta on September
20. He enters the Maryland game with a 50-
25 overall record, a .667 winning percentage.
Given a minimum of five years as a head
coach, Bowden is currently ninth among
winningest active coaches in Division I. He
entered the season 10th on the list, but has
moved ahead of John Robinson of UNLV with
the 3-1 start.

Bowden is in his seventh season as a
head coach. He had an 18-4 record in two
seasons at Tulane (1997-98), including a
perfect 11-0 season in 1998. He is in his fifth
year at Clemson and has a 32-21 record with
the Tigers. Prior to becoming a head coach,
Bowden was an assistant coach on a part-time
or full-time basis for 19 years (1978-96) at
Florida State, Auburn, Duke, Alabama, and
Kentucky.

Now in his 26 th year in college
coaching, he has been to 12 bowl games, been
a part of 10 top 25 seasons, five of which have
been top 10 teams. Teams he has coached
have been to a bowl game each of the last five
years and seven of the last eight.
With Florida State’s victory at Duke
last Saturday, Tommy is now just 287 victories
behind his father, Bobby, who has a record of
337-96-4 in his 38 years as a head coach.

New Assistants Have Had Positive Impact

Tommy Bowden has two new
assistants on his coaching staff and they have
had a positive impact on the Tigers 2003
season. David Blackwell is in his first year
coaching Clemson linebackers and Dabo
Swinney is in his first year handling the wide
receivers. Both positions have been keys to
Clemson’s 3-1 start, especially the recent threegame
winning streak.

Clemson’s top two tacklers, Leroy Hill
and John Leake, are both Blackwell protÈgÈs.
Hill leads the club with 49 and is ranked in the
top five in the ACC in tackles per game, sacks
and tackles for loss. Leake is sixth in the ACC
in tackles per game with a 10.8 average and is
coming off his best game of the season. Leake
had a season high 14 tackles, including a
career high three tackles for loss at Georgia
Tech. He was named ACC Defensive lineman
of the week for that performance.

Clemson’s wide receivers have been
key to Clemson already reaching the 1000-yard
passing mark just four games into the season.
Airese Currie, Kevin Youngblood and Derrick
Hamilton all rank among the top eight receivers
in the ACC in a catches and reception yards
basis.

Blackwell joined the Clemson
program after serving as linebackers coach at
Pittsburgh the last three seasons. He was a
big reason for the Panthers improvement to a
nine-win season and top 25 finish in 2002.
Swinney had not coached the last two years,
working in private business. He played for
Alabama, under wide receiver coach Tommy
Bowden, then became a full-time coach with the
Crimson Tide in 1996. He was a member of
Alabama’s National Championship team of
1992 and coached in five bowl games with the
Crimson Tide.

Bowden Successful on ACC Road

Clemson Head Coach Tommy
Bowden has a 20-13 record in ACC play in his
five years, 11-6 on the road and 9-7 at home.
Most coaches don’t have a better conference
record in road games than home games, but
that has been the case for Bowden. That
represents quite a turnaround because
Clemson teams from 1989-98 were 17-19 on
the road in the league in that 10-year period just
prior to Bowden’s arrival.

That league road record includes a 7-
1 record on Tobacco Road (four North Carolina
schools). Bowden has lost just once on
Tobacco Road, at NC State in 1999 by a 35-31
score. He has won seven straight ACC road
games in the state of North Carolina.

Clemson is third in winning
percentage in ACC games since Bowden
became the Tigers head coach in 1999. The
Tigers trail only Florida State and Virginia. The
Tigers and Cavaliers are tied in the loss
column, as Virginia has played one more
league game than the Tigers so far this year.

Airese Currie (WR) - Had two catches for nine
yards last year; Had two catches for 23 yards
as a freshman in 2001.

Maurice Fountain (DE) - Had two tackles and
deflected a pass that he dove to intercept last
year; Had one tackle in 17 snaps in 2001.

Toure Francis (CB) - Had six tackles, including
one for loss, in the 2001 game.

Jamaal Fudge (ROV) - Had two tackles in 10
snaps last year.

Derrick Hamilton (WR) - Had 125 all-purpose
yards in 2002; had three catches for 52 yards in
2001, but also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a
touchdown (first by a Tiger in 11 years at the
time).

Leroy Hill (LB) - Played just 11 snaps in 2002
but had seven tackles, his high total for last
year; had one tackle and a pass deflection in
the 2001 game.

J.J. Howard (DE ) - Had three tackles in 27
snaps against Maryland in 2002; had two
tackles in the 2001 contest.

Aaron Hunt (PK) - Booted four field goals in
last year’s game, all the points scored by
Clemson in the game; was 2-2 in field goals in
the 2001 game, including a 44-yard effort; made
an extra point in the 2000 game.

Chad Jasmin (RB) - Had five carries for 34
yards in 2001 against the Terps.

Cedric Johnson (OG) - Suffered a pinched
nerve in 2002 against Maryland, he played just
11 snaps.

Yusef Kelly (RB) - Had two carries and an
eight-yard reception last year; had four carries
in the 2000 game.

John Leake (LB ) - Posted a career-high 21
tackles in 2002; had nine tackles in the 2001
game in College Park.

Justin Miller (CB) - Had five tackles, two
interceptions, two forced fumbles and 152
kickoff return yards in the 2002 contest;
garnered ACC Rookie-of-the-Week honors for
that performance.

Dejuan Polk (DT) - Had three tackles,
including one for loss, in 2002 contest.

Eric Sampson (WHIP) - Had nine tackles in
2002; had two tackles in just seven snaps in the
2001 contest.

Tommy Sharpe ( C) - Had team best nine
knockdown blocks in the loss to Maryland last
year.

Khaleed Vaughn (DE) - Had five tackles and
one pressure in 2002; Had two tackles for loss,
including a sack, in the 2001 game.

Donnell Washington (DT) - Had two tackles
and a pressure in 2002; Had seven tackles in
40 snaps in the 2001 game.

Kevin Youngblood (WR) - Had three catches
for 25 yards in the 2002 contest; caught one
ball for 17 yards in the 2000 win.

Tigers Return to Television

Clemson’s game at Maryland on
October 4 will be shown live on ABC as part of
the network’s regional coverage of college
football. It will be the second time Clemson
has been shown on ABC this year. The season
opener at Georgia was also shown on ABC.
Georgia won that game 30-0, but Tommy
Bowden coached teams have done well on
games shown by ABC the last five years.
Clemson has an 8-3 record on the network
since Bowden became head coach. Clemson’s
games with Furman, Middle Tennessee and
Georgia Tech were not shown live on a major
network. Clemson has had 40 of the 53 games
in the Tommy Bowden era televised live by
either ABC, ESPN, NBC or Jefferson Pilot.

Clemson’s Performance Outstanding at Tech

Clemson is coming off one of its best
all-around games in recent years in its 39-3
victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta on
September 20th. Tech entered the game 16 th in
the nation in total defense, but Clemson scored
39 points, gained 436 yards of total offense
and scored five touchdowns in the victory.
Clemson threw for 298 yards and rushed for
138. No opponent had gained over 100 yards
rushing and had not reached the 300-yard total
offense figure against Georgia Tech this year.

On defense, Clemson held Georgia
Tech to just three points and 3.9 yards per play.

Clemson held the Yellow Jackets to just 45
yards rushing, a season low for the Georgia
Tech team that had played against Brigham
Young, Auburn and Florida State. Clemson
scored 14 points off turnovers and had five
sacks defensively in gaining the victory.
Here are some other facts about
Clemson’s victory at Georgia Tech:

- The 39-3 victory was Clemson’s
largest margin of victory in an ACC game since
a 55-7 victory over Wake Forest at Clemson in
2000.

- The 36-point margin was Clemson’s
largest margin of victory on the road since a 45-
0 victory over South Carolina in Columbia in
1989, Danny Ford’s last regular season game
as Clemson head coach.

- The 36-point victory margin was the
largest for a Clemson team in an ACC road
game since a 55-0 win at Virginia in 1984. The
36-point margin was Clemson’s fifth largest
victory margin in an ACC road game in
Clemson’s 51 years in the ACC.

- The 36-point margin was Clemson’s
largest margin of victory over Georgia Tech in
100 years, dating to a 73-0 win at Tech in 1903.
John Heisman was the head coach of Clemson
in that game. The next year he moved to
Georgia Tech.

Tigers Have Gotten off to Good Start

One of the reasons for Clemson’s
three-game winning streak has been getting off
to a good start. Clemson has had halftime
leads of 28-7, 27-7 and 23-3 in victories over
Furman, Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech,
respectively. While the defense has certainly
been doing the job in the first half, the Tiger
offense has been especially proficient in the opening two periods.
In the first half of the last three games, Clemson has averaged
13.7 first downs, 220 yards passing and 275.7 yards per half. Clemson
has had at least 23 points, at least 200 yards passing and at least 264
yards total offense by halftime in each of the last three games.

Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst has a lot to do with those fine
offensive stats. In the first half of the last three games combined
Whitehurst is 46-57 (,801) for 661 yards and eight touchdowns against
just one interception. Even with the Georgia game included, Whitehurst
has a 193.93 passing efficiency figure for the four first halves combined
this year. A good job of scripting plays by Tommy Bowden, Brad Scott
and Mike O’Cain has a lot to do with those statistics.

Offensive Line Depth Contributes to Improvement

One of the goals of Tommy Bowden’s offense this year was to
get more playing time for the second team offensive line. That has been
the case this year as all five members of the second team offensive line
have played in three of the four games so far this year. A look to the
play totals shows that Chip Myrick has played 70 snaps, Roman Fry 59,
Marion Dukes 39, Brandon Pilgrim 31 and Dustin Fry 10 snaps so far
this season.

That totals to 209 snaps for second team offensive linemen this
year, 52.3 snaps per game. Last year second team offensive linemen
played just 218 snaps the entire season, a 13-game schedule. Thus,
the second team offensive line is just nine total snaps from last year’s
figure for the entire season. A year ago, Clemson starting offensive
linemen played every snap in a combined 35 games out of a possible 65
opportunities (5 offensive linemen X13 games).

Two Tigers Have Kickoff Return for Touchdown

Clemson has had just nine kickoff returns for a touchdown by
eight different players in its history, but two of the eight players are on the
current Clemson team. On October 24, 2002 against NC State , Justin
Miller picked up a loose ball and raced 80 yards for a touchdown on a
kickoff return in the second half. That was the first time a Clemson
player had gone all the way for a touchdown on a kickoff return since the
2001 Maryland game when Derrick Hamilton went 100 yards at
Maryland for a score in College Park.

This is the first time in history that two Clemson players on the
same team have had a kickoff return for a touchdown. The list below
shows that no teammates had ever done it. Doug Thomas had two in
one season, 1990. One of Thomas’s returns came against Maryland.
Thus, two of the last three Clemson kickoff returns for a touchdown have
come at Maryland. Clemson once went 25 years without a kickoff return
for a score, 1962-87.

Each of the last two ACC kickoff return champions have come
from Clemson. Hamilton won the ACC kickoff return championship in
2001, while Justin Miller won the title last year. Miller had a 35.1-yard
average last year on 13 returns. He did not have enough returns to rank
nationally, but had enough to lead the ACC.

Hamilton has a 31.5-yard average so far this year to rank first
in the ACC, while Miller is second with a 29.4 average. Both are
ranked in the top 12 in the nation in that category, as Hamilton is eighth
and Miller is 12th. A look to the chart below shows that Miller and
Hamilton are both ranked in the top five in Clemson history in kickoff
return average. Miller is first with a 33.5 average, while Hamilton is fifth
at 25.7.

Clemson was shut out in its first game against Georgia, but the
Tiger offense has made considerable improvement the last three games.
Clemson has 104 points over the last three contests, including 78 in the
first halves of victories over Furman, Middle Tennessee and Georgia
Tech. The Tigers have averaged 447.3 yards of total offense in the
three games combined, including nearly 300 yards per game passing.
Improvement in the turnover statistic has been a factor. Clemson had
three turnovers on offense in the loss to Georgia, but has had just two
since then.

After being outscored 13-0 in points off turnover in the opener,
Clemson has outscored the opposition 21-0 over the last three games in
that area. As a result of the lack of turnovers, the opposing team has
not taken over possession of the ball in Clemson territory on 26
consecutive possessions dating to the Furman game.
Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst has had a lot to do with the
performance of the offense. Over the last three games, Clemson’s
sophomore quarterback is 69-97 for 897 yards and nine touchdowns
against just two interceptions. He has an efficiency rating of 175.3 for
those three games and a completion percentage of 71.13.

Clemson will strive to become the first ACC school to win 200 conference games when the Tigers meet Maryland in College Park on October 4.
Clemson was a charter member of the ACC in 1953 and is now in its 51st season in the conference. Clemson has a record of 199-107-6 in conference play for its 51
seasons, including its recent 39-3 win at Georgia Tech. That is a winning percentage of .647. Clemson ranks first among league teams in conference victories.
North Carolina is second with 177, while Maryland, Clemson’s opponent on Saturday is third with 175. NC State holds the fourth position with 171. Clemson has a
winning record against every other ACC team since the league began with the exception of Florida State.

Clemson also leads the ACC in conference championships with 13. Florida State is second with 10, followed by Maryland with nine (this includes cochampionships).
NC State and Duke are tied for fourth with seven wins apiece. Every current league member has won the league title at least once. Of course
Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech will join the ACC next season.

Saturday’s game will be a meeting of two of the traditional powerhouses of the ACC. Both Clemson and Maryland have been in the ACC since its inception
in the fall of 1953. Both teams played their first ACC game against each other on October 3, 1953 at Clemson, a 20-0 Maryland victory. This coming Friday will be
the 50-year anniversary of that first conference game for the two schools. Clemson and Maryland have both won the National Championship, the Terps during that first
ACC season in 1953, and Clemson in 1981. Clemson has the most ACC championships with 13, while Maryland is third with nine. Both schools have had the ACC
Coach of the Year seven times each. Maryland has had 180 players drafted over the years, while Clemson has had 179.

The two teams played at the end of the season in most seasons between 1978-88 and the game usually decided the ACC championship. That was
certainly the case in 1978 when the Tigers won 28-24 at College Park, clinching an undefeated season in the league over Maryland. It was 11th ranked Maryland’s only
league loss that season. Clemson also clinched the ACC championship with a November victory or tie over Maryland in 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987 and 1988. Maryland
clinched the ACC Championship in 2001 with a 37-20 victory over Clemson in College Park. The Terps also clinched the title in 1985 with a victory in Death Valley.

Clemson Receiving Corps Among Nation’s Best

Clemson’s group of wide receivers was ranked in the top 10 in
the nation by various services during the preseason. They have lived up
to that billing so far this season and have been a big reason for
Clemson’s offensive surge the last three weeks. Clemson has passed for
897 yards in its last three games, all victories. The Tigers have three of
the top eight receivers in the ACC on a receptions per game and
reception yards per game basis. All three are ranked in the top 75 in
the nation in receptions per game.

Airese Currie, Kevin Youngblood and Derrick Hamilton have
combined for 68 catches for 876 yards and six touchdowns so far this
season. Currie leads the way with 26-339 and three scores, while
Youngblood has 23-274 and one touchdown. Hamilton has 19-263 and
two touchdowns. Youngblood and Currie had touchdown receptions in
the win over Georgia Tech.

The Clemson record for receptions and reception yards by a
trio of receivers in the same season is held by the 1999 group that
included Rod Gardner (now with Washington Redskins), Brian Wofford
and Mal Lawyer. Those three receivers combined for 179 catches for
2273 yards and 10 scores. That was an average of 14.9 receptions for
189 yards per game. The current Clemson receiving trio has averaged
17 catches for 219 yards per game so far this season, so the 2003 group
is on a record pace.

Currently, Currie is second in the ACC in receptions per game
at 6.67 and he is third in yardage at 87 yards per game. He is also 26th
in the nation in catches per game and 36th in receiving yards.
Youngblood is fourth in the league in catches and seventh in yardage,
while Hamilton is eighth in both areas.

Currie had his best career game against Middle Tennessee
when he caught 12 passes for 133 yards. That broke the Clemson
single game record for receptions in a game. The previous best was
11 by Phil Rogers against North Carolina in 1965 and by Rod Gardner
against Marshall in 1999.

Youngblood had 10 catches against Furman, the second time
in his career he has done that. There have now been 15 games in which
a Clemson receiver has had at least 10 catches and eight of those
performances have been under Tommy Bowden’s watch.

Hamilton and Youngblood are both in the top 11 in Clemson
history in career receptions and the way Currie is going he might join
them soon. Hamilton’s 124 catches rank sixth in school history. He just
went ahead of Tony Horne last week. Youngblood, who has caught at
least one pass in 19 straight games, needs just five catches to become
the 10th player in Clemson history to reach the 100 mark. Currie needs
just 59 receiving yards to go over 1000. He will become the 21st player in
school history to do that. Youngblood became the 20th in the win over
Georgia Tech and now has 1090 receiving yards for his career.

Clemson graduate student wide receiver Tony Elliott could
logically inherit the nickname, "The Exterminator". The last two years he
has had his top two games of his career against the Georgia Tech Yellow
Jackets, helping Clemson to victory in both games.

On September 20th, he caught a career high five passes for 31
yards and a touchdown in the 39-3 Clemson victory. His nine-yard
touchdown catch from Charlie Whitehurst gave Clemson a 10-0 lead in
the second quarter. The way he wrestled the ball away from a Georgia
Tech defender set the tone for the day for Clemson.

In 2002, Elliott had three catches for 83 yards and a score.
His 44-yard catch for a touchdown was the first score of his career and
gave Clemson an 18-point lead in the second half. Elliott led the Tigers
in reception yards in that game.

Elliott has now caught two touchdown passes in his career,
both have come against Georgia Tech. He has had two games in his
career in which he has caught at least three passes and both have come
against the Yellow Jackets. He now has 17 career receptions and eight
have come against Georgia Tech.

Hill Continuing #43 Tradition

The early season favorite for most improved player on the
Clemson football team would be junior linebacker Leroy Hill. The native
of Haddock, GA ranks in the top five in the ACC in tackles, tackles for
loss and sacks. His 49 tackles rank first among Clemson players. He
had 29 tackles all of last year in 13 games. He exceeded that total in
the first three games this year. He has had at least two tackles for loss
and one sack in each game this year. He had a career high 16 tackles
in the opener against Georgia and has been in double figures in three of
the four games so far this year.

Hill played in all 13 games last year, all in reserve. He was the
top special teams tackler on the squad with 21, but played just 47 snaps
from scrimmage at linebacker. He spent the 2002 season as a backup
behind Eric Sampson. He has moved to middle linebacker and has
flourished. He had just one tackle or loss last year and now has six this
year. He has nine more tackles than any other Clemson player and has
averaged a tackle every 4.05 plays.

Hill is carrying on the tradition of the number-43 at Clemson.
Terry Kinard, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in
2001, wore that number between 1978-82. Kinard was a first-team AP
All-American in 1981 and 1982 and was named one of the top 50 male
athletes in ACC history. Keith Adams, who many compare Hill to in
terms of his style of play as a linebacker, was an All-American at
Clemson in 2000. He led the nation in tackles and tackles for loss in
1999. He had 35 tackles for loss that year to set a Clemson record.

Whitehurst Clemson Career Leader in Six Categories

Clemson sophomore quarterback Charlie Whitehurst
completed 23 of 28 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns in
Clemson’s win over Middle Tennessee. That computes to a passing
efficiency of 219 for the game. According to NCAA statistics, that is the
fifth best passing efficiency game so far this year in Division I college
football (given a minimum of 20 attempts).

Whitehurst’s has completed exactly 23 passes in each of his
last three games and now has an efficiency rating of 153.6 for the
season, 10th best in the nation. His recent performances have moved
him to number-one in Clemson history (ahead of Woody Dantzler) on
Clemson’s passing efficiency list. He now has a rating of 137.87, better
than Dantzler’s 132.46 figure. Whitehurst has an efficiency of 153.6 for
this season, ahead of the Clemson single season record of 146 set by
Mike Eppley in 1983. That figure is for a minimum of 15 attempts per
game.

Whitehurst is also completing his passes at a 67.7 percent
rate, ahead of the 63 percent rate of Brandon Streeter set in 1999.
Whitehurst is now first in Clemson history in completion percentage and
passing efficiency on a career basis with a 61.3 figure.
The native of Duluth, GA now has three separate games of at
least four touchdowns passes, tying the school record. That is quite an
accomplishment considering he has started just nine games in his career.
He is already seventh in Clemson history in touchdown passes with 19.
Dantzler, who watched Clemson’s victory over Georgia Tech from the
sidelines, has that record with 41.

In nine games as a starter, the Tigers have a 6-3 record. In
those games he has completed 193-314 passes for 2422 yards, 18
touchdowns and seven interceptions. That is a .615 completion
percentage. His average game as a starter is 21.4 for 35 attempts for
269 yards, and two touchdowns. His passing efficiency as a starter is
140.71.

Whitehurst has completed 69 of his last 97 passes for 897
yards and nine touchdowns against just two interception over the last
three games, both Tiger victories. The 301-yard figure against Furman
ranks as just the eighth 300-yard passing game in Clemson history for an
individual, the second by Whitehurst. He actually holds the Clemson
record with 420 passing yards at Duke last year in a 34-31 Clemson
victory. He joins Streeter as the only quarterbacks in Clemson history
with more than one 300-yard passing game. Streeter, now an assistant
coach at Charleston Southern, had three during his career from 1997-99.
Whitehurst went over the 2500-yard passing in the win over
Georgia Tech and enters the Maryland game with 2602. He is currently
second in the ACC in passing yards per game and passing efficiency,
trailing only Phillip Rivers of NC State.

Watching Charlie Whitehurst move up the Clemson career
passing efficiency charts should be of no surprise. Clemson head coach
Tommy Bowden has a history of developing outstanding quarterbacks
since he became a head coach in 1997.

In his two years at Tulane, he guided Shawn King to many
school and national records. In fact, in 1998, King led the nation with a
passing efficiency rating of 183.3. That year he completed 223-328
passes for 3232 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions. That
183.3 rating remains the all-time NCAA record for passing efficiency
rating over the course of a season.

One of the players Bowden recruited before he left Tulane was
current Washington Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey. Ramsey
played at Tulane through the 2001 season and is now the starting signal
caller for the Washington Redskins. Ironically, one of his top receivers is
former Tiger Rod Gardner. Ramsey was 17-23 for 185 yards in the
Redskins season opening victory over the New York Jets.

Since Bowden has been at Clemson, 54 Clemson passing
records have been set or tied. Brandon Streeter set the Clemson single
season completion percentage in 1999 when he connected on 63.1
percent of his passes. Whitehurst is currently ahead of that pace at 67.7
percent for the season and already holds Clemson six career passing
records. In 2001, Woodrow Dantzler became the first player in college
football history to pass for 2000 yards and rush for 1000 in the same
season.

Walker, Johnson Lead Offensive Line

Clemson’s offensive line has been led by graduate student
Gregory Walker and junior Cedric Johnson. Walke, the starting right
tackle had one of his best games as a Clemson Tiger in the win over
Furman when he graded 93 percent from the offensive line coaches for
his 67 plays. He had 12.5 knockdown blocks in the game six more than
any other Clemson player. He also had two intimidation blocks and
graded 99 percent in terms of effort grade. He was named the Clemson
offensive player of the week by the Tiger coaching staff for the Furman
game.

Walker is in his second year as a starter. He has started 17
consecutive games entering the Maryland game. Last year he led the
team in intimidation blocks with 24 and was second to Gary Byrd in
knockdown blocks with 93. He led the team in film grade from the
coaches seven times, more than any other Tiger offensive lineman. The
native of Sumter leads the team in knockdown blocks this year through
two games with 21.5.

Johnson has been Clemson’s highest graded offensive lineman
in three of the four games so far this year. He had a 91 percent grade for
the Middle Tennessee game and followed that with a 93 percent grade at
Georgia Tech.

Hunt 6-6 in Career vs. Maryland

Aaron Hunt enters the Maryland game with 39 field goals in
55 career attempts. He made a 42-yarder in the win over Middle
Tennessee in his only attempt and was 1-1 at Georgia Tech. He has also
kicked 138-144 extra points for a total of 255 career points. He is fifth in
scoring in Clemson history on a career basis and needs just seven points
to move ahead of Chris Gardocki, who is the starting punter with the
Cleveland Browns.

A year ago Hunt was 17-22 on field goals. He had made 29 of
his last 36 field goals. Hunt scored in each of the first 36 games he
played in his career, a Clemson record. That streak was broken when
Clemson was shut out by Georgia in the opener. Hunt missed a 52-yard
field goal in that game and thus was charged with a game played, ending
his streak.

He did not play against NC State last year when Clemson lost
38-6, as the Tigers did not attempt a field goal or extra point. He has 255
total points and needs 45 points to break Nelson Welch’s record. He
has scored at least 74 points in each of his first three seasons with the
Clemson program. He is also fifth in school history in career field goals.
Welch holds the record, an ACC mark as well, with 72.

Clemson freshman punter Cole Chason had his best game as
a Clemson Tiger in the win over Georgia Tech. His 44.3 yard average
was the best by a Clemson punter since the 2000 Florida State game
when Jamie Somaini averaged 47 yards a punt in a loss to Florida State.
Chason had six punts for 266 yards and allowed just 18 punt return
yards for a net average of 41.3 yards a punt, also the best by a Tiger
punter since the 2000 Florida State game. Chason had two punts inside
the 20 and one over 50 in his performance at Tech.

Davis on Sidelines for Maryland Game

Former Clemson safety Billy Davis will be on the sidelines for
the Clemson vs. Maryland game. A 1984 Clemson graduate, Davis will
handle sideline commentary for the Clemson Radio Network that day.
The sudden passing of 36-year play-by-play announcer Jim Phillips has
moved Pete Yanity from the sidelines to the play-by-play position for the
rest of the year. As a result, Clemson will use a different former player to
serve in the sideline capacity for the rest of the year.

Davis had many highlights during his career as a Tiger
between 1980-83, but his most memorable might have come at Byrd
Stadium. A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Byrd iced a 24-22 victory with
an interception of a Boomer Esiason pass at the Clemson 38-yard-line
with just 25 seconds left. The victory gave Clemson a 6-0 league record
and clinched the ACC title for the Tigers.

Davis was the top punt return man on Clemson’s 1981 national
championship team. He held the Clemson record for punt returns in a
season until Derrick Hamilton broke the mark last season. One of his
most memorable plays for Clemson fans took place in the Orange Bowl
victory over Nebraska when he ran 47 yards on a punt return to set up a
field goal in the 22-15 Clemson victory.